Last hurrah before baby?
April 23, 2017 11:56 AM Subscribe
Where to visit in late June (when 19 wks pregnant) that is relatively cool and on a lake or river? I need to escape Houston heat but I don't want to be on a plane for more than 8 hrs.
We much prefer urban vacations but for this last trip before our first baby comes, I'd like to relax and read and maybe pool/lake/river in a beautiful natural environment. I just don't know how to look for something like that, and I want to find a place that is as cool (in temperature) as I can without having to fly up to the tundra. I usually trip-plan around major cities, so now I'm at a loss in getting started. We like good food, interesting or old architecture, and aren't particularly interested in camping or beaches. A little hiking would be fine, but I'm affirmatively not an outdoors girl, even when I'm not pregnant. Please help me, metafilter. I have a little under a week off of work.
We much prefer urban vacations but for this last trip before our first baby comes, I'd like to relax and read and maybe pool/lake/river in a beautiful natural environment. I just don't know how to look for something like that, and I want to find a place that is as cool (in temperature) as I can without having to fly up to the tundra. I usually trip-plan around major cities, so now I'm at a loss in getting started. We like good food, interesting or old architecture, and aren't particularly interested in camping or beaches. A little hiking would be fine, but I'm affirmatively not an outdoors girl, even when I'm not pregnant. Please help me, metafilter. I have a little under a week off of work.
Lake Tahoe
posted by aniola at 12:16 PM on April 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by aniola at 12:16 PM on April 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
Fly to Chicago, enjoy a little bit of urban goodness, then rent a car and drive into Michigan to visit one of the lovely beach resort areas along Lake Michigan? Daytime air temps will be moderate, nights will be cool and pleasant, but the lake will likely be too cold for a Houstonian to tolerate that time of year so if you want to swim you might seek a place with a pool. Non-strenuous walking opportunities on the beach or in the dunes if you want them, and cute little towns ramping up for their summer seasons.
posted by Nerd of the North at 12:16 PM on April 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Nerd of the North at 12:16 PM on April 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I should have mentioned that we're trying to be in NYC the next weekend, so I'm trying to stay on the east side of the US/Canada.
posted by anthropomorphic at 12:19 PM on April 23, 2017
posted by anthropomorphic at 12:19 PM on April 23, 2017
Lots of places in upstate NY, although it will be crowded/expensive depending on how far away from NYC. Others may have specific recommendations, but I'd just search for Airbnbs in the upstate region and go with something cabin-y and we'll reviewed. Also the Poconos in PA!
posted by permiechickie at 12:32 PM on April 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by permiechickie at 12:32 PM on April 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you can end your trip in NYC, agreed that upstate NY would be a great place to stay. The Catskills, the Adirondacks, and the Finger Lakes region are all gorgeous (though in June the water might still be a bit cold for swimming).
There are tons of lakes that you can rent a house on; you can always try Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, but a lot of the family owned properties go exclusively through a local realty company for summer rentals (at least our lake does). For that, I'd just look at a map and google [name of lake or town] + [summer or cabin rental] and you'll come up with the local rental listings.
posted by stellaluna at 12:48 PM on April 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are tons of lakes that you can rent a house on; you can always try Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, but a lot of the family owned properties go exclusively through a local realty company for summer rentals (at least our lake does). For that, I'd just look at a map and google [name of lake or town] + [summer or cabin rental] and you'll come up with the local rental listings.
posted by stellaluna at 12:48 PM on April 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
Shelter Island. All the benefits of being as far out as Montauk without the kind of people who go to Montauk now. Bonus: Having to take the ferry over is fun and helps you mentally register that you are leaving it all behind.
I have never been, but I know a lot of people who love Mohonk Nountain House.
Also, check Airbnb. Friends found a charming little place in the Catskills last year, and they both are not outdoorsy yet spent ours wandering in that "nature" thing while they were there.
posted by old_growler at 12:51 PM on April 23, 2017
I have never been, but I know a lot of people who love Mohonk Nountain House.
Also, check Airbnb. Friends found a charming little place in the Catskills last year, and they both are not outdoorsy yet spent ours wandering in that "nature" thing while they were there.
posted by old_growler at 12:51 PM on April 23, 2017
Oh, also check out Ithaca, home of Cornell. It's a really cute town with some good eateries, and in the summer it's very quiet, and there's probably some well priced AirBnb. Lots of gorge-ous nature.
posted by permiechickie at 3:30 PM on April 23, 2017
posted by permiechickie at 3:30 PM on April 23, 2017
The Hudson River Valley, i.e. the stretch between NYC and Albany is lovely country. Some of the cities aren't very picturesque (lookin' at you, Poughkeepsie), but you can probably find a nice spot with a little googling. The sight-seeing possibilities are considerable, from Hyde Park to an Aerodrome.
The Housatonic River in NE Connecticut goes though Litchfield County which is a popular spot for the country homes of NYC dwellers.
Neither of these rivers is for swimming. Houston to NYC is 3:30 by air.
IF you want to fly past NYC to Lake Champlain, you might consider Shelburne, VT.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:04 PM on April 23, 2017
The Housatonic River in NE Connecticut goes though Litchfield County which is a popular spot for the country homes of NYC dwellers.
Neither of these rivers is for swimming. Houston to NYC is 3:30 by air.
IF you want to fly past NYC to Lake Champlain, you might consider Shelburne, VT.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:04 PM on April 23, 2017
Chicago for both the lake and the river, e.g., rent a kayak and you won't believe you're in the middle of the city—as well as all the urban experiences. It's a beautiful city.
Swim at the hotel pool. (Maybe it's just me, but I find the smell of chlorine reassuring.)
posted by she's not there at 4:11 PM on April 23, 2017
Swim at the hotel pool. (Maybe it's just me, but I find the smell of chlorine reassuring.)
posted by she's not there at 4:11 PM on April 23, 2017
If you're considering Canada at all, the Muskokas are gorgeous and where all the Torontonians go for their cottage country experience, and should be fairly easy to get to. There's also some great cottage country by Ottawa and Montreal. You could quite easily find a nice B&B on a lake, and be able to drive in to one of the cities for a nice dinner or something if you can't resist the city thing. Hell, you might be able to say, rent a houseboat and float down the Rideau Canal watching the world go by!
Also with our dollar right now, it's like a free 30% off! (I mean, factoring in our higher taxes it's not quite that, but it's surprisingly close.)
posted by aggyface at 5:25 AM on April 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also with our dollar right now, it's like a free 30% off! (I mean, factoring in our higher taxes it's not quite that, but it's surprisingly close.)
posted by aggyface at 5:25 AM on April 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Minnesota is called the land of 10,000 lakes for a reason. If you want cool, get yourself to Lake Superior. It feels like an ocean, and it'll be nice and cool in June. Duluth is a great town, and if you get further up the shore things get quieter/quainter.
posted by craven_morhead at 7:37 AM on April 24, 2017
posted by craven_morhead at 7:37 AM on April 24, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:11 PM on April 23, 2017 [3 favorites]